As you might know, we host a Karaoke Cabaret every second and fourth Tuesday at The Casbah here in Hamilton, ON. It’s always important for us to give tribute to the Gods of Karaoke and this Halloween we are so excited to announce that we will be hosting a special Halloween Costume Karaoke at Sous Bas {145 Main St. E}!!!
NO COVER, FREE CANDY, and all the songs you can sing! Bring us a carved jack-o-lantern and you get a FREE DRINK!
Since its Halloween, we encourage you to dress up as the artist you want to sing!!! Here is a little gallery for inspiration of some pop culture icons and their best music inspired Halloween get-ups!!!
Of course, we always encourage everyone to be themselves, so do you!!! Come as you are . . .
Can’t wait for this night, so do come out if you’re looking to howl at the moon this Halloween!!!
We have a thing for clear PVC anything! It’s just so rad, and timelessly futuristic!!! So in short, this is the perfect combination of {PAST} / {PRESENT} / {FUTURE} which you know is totally our jam. A rare find, so if you’re digging our vibe, act fast!
PIT TO PIT: 28″ LENGTH: 31″ SHOULDER TO SLEEVE: 31″
Exquisite Designer FRANK USHER Graphic Beaded Sequin Party Jacket
I mean can you say “WOWZA”!!! This is THE party jacket that you need to light up the room. Great slouchy vibe, and in mint condition with all sequins and beads intact. Super RARE find, so don’t let this one slip through your fingers!
PIT TO PIT: 22″ LENGTH: 25″ SHOULDER TO SLEEVE: 27″
You know what they say . . . all that glitters is most definitely GOLD! Gold has always been a big staple of our style, and we want to pass on this age old wisdom to all those stylishly discerning. That means you!
Glam it up, or grunge it up … just do your thing!
PIT TO PIT: 22″ LENGTH: 26″ SHOULDER TO SLEEVE: 16″
Rare LINDA LUNDSTROM 90s Green Shiny Holographic Party Jacket
Linda Lundstrom was a fabulous Canadian designer throughout the 80s and 90s, and this cyber-inspired holographic jacket is just one of the fantastic style statements she designed during her career. Holographic is super ‘in’ right now, but this piece just has a whole other level to it than the cheap mall knock offs you are seeing today.
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL, people! So don’t miss out!
PIT TO PIT: 20″ LENGTH: 26″ SHOULDER TO SLEEVE: 28″
So if you like to party . . . LETS GO! Sometimes you just need to put on some fresh duds and let loose. Nothing wrong in that. Just as long as you are being true!
Don’t forget, that XIXIXI gets you 25% OFF in the {SHOP}, so don’t be shy! It’s all for you…and much more to come, so stay tuned!
‘Concision in Style, Precision in Thought, Decision in Life”
You may have noticed those immortal words when browsing through our ABOUT US page, although the phrase is more like this:
+ CONCISIONEM STYLO, ACCURATIUS CORDE, IUDICARI VITA +
Since our inception, these words have helped build the foundations for creating The Eye of Faith, and we never forgot them along the way.
Wise words from an icon in his own right, Victor Hugo (and I’m not too sure if he would be one for musicals ) . . . but none the less, his “concision in style, precision in thought, and decision in life”, have made him and his work relevant to this very day!
It’s quite wild how the past comes and goes, and is brought back to life again. Inspiration finds it’s way through the cracks of your mind to infiltrate your thoughts and create something special. This comes into play every time you make your way into your own wardrobe, for example. You stare at your clothes and an idea might come to your mind, and thus a new look, and a new you is born!
While our motto CONCISIONEM STYLO, ACCURATIUS CORDE, IUDICARI VITA (it just sounds so F***ing good in Latin) has carried us far the past year, most mysterious 2014, we have a few new thoughts for the year ahead, and some new virtues we want to inherit and inspire for 2015.
+KNOWLEDGE+
+KNOWLEDGE+ has always been an important piece of the puzzle here at The Eye, and for our frequent followers and visitors, you have come to expect in our approach an appreciation for history and all it’s secrets and quirks. We love to expose the {PAST} and examine where it fits into the {PRESENT} and hopefully, using our age defying wisdom, we can summarize a likely {FUTURE}.
Much like the alchemists and sorcerers of the past, the gaining and collecting of knowledge, every little bit no matter how esoteric, is a vital aspect of one’s true power, for when the time comes and all you are left to is you and you alone, you can count on yourself to follow through! Whether we’re talking life or fashion, no one is ever going to blame you for knowing too much.
We hope to continue in this vein, and bring you more and more vintage memories and musings that can both inspire and inform.
+INTEGRITY+
Since we began creating The Eye of Faith, we have been told a million and one things we should be doing instead. Everyone and their mother has had an opinion on our vision, without even asking what that vision may be!
We came into this game knowing full well who we were, and what we intended to accomplish. You don’t see another site quite like The Eye of Faith online, and that is a good thing. We are not trying to fall into place behind other fashion blogs (most of which look the same) who recycle content from site to site, but we wanted to be true innovators on the scene. This dedication to our vision, and always standing by it without changing it to appease naysayers is why we have ruled +INTEGRITY+ as a continuing priority here at The Eye of Faith.
The Eye of Faith was conceived as a portal to the past with many seemingly disparate items, articles, and stories coming together to create a well-rounded vision of how little things have changed, and how cool the past really was! This will continue NOT to change.
We will also not be picking any random articles of vintage clothing to add to the collection. Nothing is arbitrary, and each piece speaks to a certain story or style we are aiming to incorporate into the vision of the collection as a whole. Believe us, it’s not as easy as it sounds! It’s called +INTEGRITY+
+COURAGE+
The Spirit of Contemplation (1901) by Albert Toft {1862 – 1949}
+COURAGE+ has always been our silent leader when it came to creating The Eye of Faith. In fact, the whole idea of the The Eye of Faith encapsulates this virtue entirely.
The Eye of Faith is an age old symbol of +COURAGE+, and by the pure belief in matters at hand, and some proper insight, one may be given sight to see the way to get to one’s destiny. It’s a silent pathway, but a strong one, and without proper reinforcement your trail could just wither into the wind before your eyes and you would be left to find your way without the guidance of the fates. . .
The latter is a path many of choose in life, but since we are beings with a choice, we definitely chose to trust that The Eye of Faith will get us where we belong.
It took a lot of +COURAGE+ to stand up and tell those we know and love our belief in it, but it definitely seems to be paying off, with everyday us getting stronger and stronger.
+STRENGTH+
+STRENGTH+ comes in many forms. We need it constantly; in the physical sense, to keep up the hustle of getting our pieces from one place to another, and even more so in the emotional and spiritual sense, when it seems like you’ll never figure it all out.
Truth is, you’re never going to figure it all out, so best stop wasting your energy on that one . . .
Having +STRENGTH+ of mind is more powerful than any fist when it comes to life. Creeping deep down into oneself and building +STRENGTH+ from within is your best start. From there, everything else will seem like a cinch!
+IMAGINATION+
I once read somewhere that +IMAGINATION+ is more important than +KNOWLEDGE+
But I don’t think that is quite true, as much as learning to utilize both to one’s advantage can be the most powerful tool of all.
+IMAGINATION+ is quite literally the God-Sense in all of us. If you seek the divine in the everyday all you need do is open a pad of paper and sketch, or write for an hour about any old thing, even messing about your wardrobe will suffice. It is simply that beautiful magical moment where your brain has decided to create something new, and completely you.
You are a well of ideas and inspirations, and once you are able to tap into that spring, you might find your true self overflowing!
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So there you have it!
Our five newly anointed principles that can be used not just for your style sensibilities, but use them in life, as well. If you use them right, the transformations will happen almost immediately.
Feel free to adapt our Rules to fit your own life, or simply come up with a few of your own.
What means most to you? In the end, that’s all that matters. We know what we need to do to survive, and we’re going to definitely be making it happen! So hopefully some of our words of wisdom have rubbed off a bit, and we can all make things happen together!
While not all the gentlemen seen in this series have surf boards in their hands, they all undeniably possess that wicked spirit of the surf.
Spontaneous, effervescent, and wild like the waves, these are men of the past who have found sanctuary in the beauty of the ocean, and have used its energy to conjure an unbeatable swag, and undeniable attitude.
We love looking through what people wore, and especially with swimwear, not much has changed. Whether shorts or speedos, the look and style of these basics can still be found today.
And while we don’t wear the one-piece suits anymore, or have to swim with tank tops; these looks are more and more interesting and intriguing. There is some unique stuff there that just needs to come back (striped one-piece, graphic swim tanks) into play!
Especially with today’s climate, always drifting back to the past for inspiration, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of these influences in the mix in coming years. If not, we’ll just have to take it on ourselves. Either way – it’s happening.
Check out the amazing pictures we’ve found for you all to get in the swing of Surf, and the attitude that makes it timeless beyond the bleached blonde hair and tubular moods we automatically associate with this lifestyle.
So what do you think? Have things changed that much? There’s no time value on fun in the sun, that’s for sure.
Share you favourite pics with your friends or post to your own blog
It’s as if they tapped into our brains with this one!
“Riot Club” is the latest film from British director Lone Scherfig who last brought us a vintage style feast in 2009’s “An Education”.
The film is a fictionalized vision based on the salacious modus operandi of the notorious Bullingdon Club, who came to the forefront of the media’s gaze in the 1980s as they trashed their way through some of England’s finest establishments. The most shocking aspect of their antics was that the band of bad asses were actually some of British society’s finest bred.
(1) the Hon. Edward Sebastian Grigg [the BBC Pension Trust sub-contractor and former SCREAM snuff-film director for Goldman Sachs], the heir to Baron Altrincham of Tormarton and current chairman of Credit Suisse (UK)
(2) David Cameron
(3) Ralph Perry Robinson, a former child actor, designer, furniture-maker
(4) Ewen Fergusson, son of the British ambassador to France, Sir Ewen Fergusson and now at City law firm Herbert Smith
(5) Matthew Benson, the heir to the Earldom of Wemyss and March
(6) Sebastian James, the son of Lord Northbourne, a major landowner in Kent
(7) Jonathan Ford, the-then president of the club, a banker with Morgan Grenfell
(8) Boris Johnson, the-then president of the Oxford Union, now Lord Mayor of London
9) Harry Eastwood, the investment fund consultant
Based on the play Posh by Laura Wade, the film delves into the manic musings of the centuries old club which resided within the historic confines of Oxford University, and the psychology of privilege that prevailed in the minds of the club’s most esteemed members.
Many members of the Bullingdon Club would go on to become some of England’s most powerful and influential politicians and businessmen including Prime Minister David Cameron, British ambassador to France Sir Ewen Fergusson, Jonathan Ford and Boris Johnson. Some of the club’s legendary members included King Edward VII, King Edward VIII, Cecil Rhodes, Nathaniel Rothschild, and Gottfried von Bismarck!
Gottfried von Bismarck from the House of Bismarck – known for his righteous parties and supreme style wisdom.
Days of Being Wild with Nathaniel Rothschild & Friends . . .
7. Nat Rothschild
Makes you think . . .
Needless to say, after watching the trailer for the film, we are psyched as ever to see the story of the Buller boys come to life! We love to see that secret society style truly is making its way to the forefront!
After all, everyday in life we encounter secret societies. Whether they be clubs or members only parties, or just the secret conversations with have with our friends and family – they are all the same. It’s that bond that keeps us all together in the end, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot escape wanting to feel like we belong to something exclusively ours.
This is the truth.
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Bullingdon Club, 2013.
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Can’t wait!
“I don’t think an evening would have ended without a restaurant being trashed and being paid for in full, very often in cash. […] A night in the cells would be regarded as being par for a Buller man and so would debagging anyone who really attracted the irritation of the Buller men.”
Andrew Grimson, biographer of Boris Johnson on the Bullingdon Club in the 1980s
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is an invisible labor. “
-Victor Hugo
New Wave just wouldn’t have been New Wave without this eccentric to pave the way through the 1980’s. With a penchant for pastels, and bold black and white stripes, we thank this latest E.O.F. Style Idol inductee for being part of a fashion revolution for men, for being fearless, and for using that pelvis for the good of mankind.
We would like to introduce you to William Michael Albert Broad.
Having grown up in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, amidst the English countryside with a background in proper Boys Schools, this rebel rocker would boldly defy convention and using peroxide to pave his way, he would come to be know as the one and only Billy Idol.
In October 1975, Idol went to Brighton Polytechnic to pursue an English degree, and lived on campus (East Slope), but left just after Year One. Billy’s academic ambitions would be cut short, as there was definitely a change in the air…
The world was shifting and popular culture was rapidly changing; the squeaky boy bands of the past were begging for a make-over! Raw unbridled sexuality would be exactly what the doctor would prescribe…
“If your world doesn’t allow you to dream, move to one where you can”
– Billy Idol
The name Billy Idol was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of the young Broad as “idle” – a bit of a slacker, non-chalant, “too cool for school”, as they say. But it was his music ambitions and talent for performance that showcased the young man as anything but idle.
The stage name was also a nod to the pop acts that came before him. Billy Idol looked to history, comparing himself to his own idols like Billy Fury and Elvis.
“We were saying the opposite to the Clash and the Pistols. They were singing ‘No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones’, but we were honest about what we liked. The truth was, we were all building our music on the Beatles and the Stones”
He then went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans; a loose gang that traveled into town when the band played. Billy could see similarities between himself and the motley punk troupe. He had a hunger for performing, and Billy knew he had to make his mark as an entertainer.
Billy first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist.
It wasn’t until Billy would step out from the background and take center stage as front man of Generation X that the act from across the pond would make a huge splash in international waters. This quickly ushered in the ‘second wave’ of British invasion acts during the MTV era in the 1980s.
“I love it when someone insults me. It means I don’t have to be nice anymore.”
-Billy Idol.
By 1982, Billy made a splash on the club charts as a solo artist. The single “Dancing by Myself” hit the pop charts like a comet! With a string of hits like “Rebel Yell”, “White Wedding”, and “Eyes without a Face”, as well as a hit cover of “Money Money”, Idol Fever hit America in a huge way.
With an electric look consisting of scantily clad chains and leather, with a gyrating pelvis and curling lip, only comparable to the King himself, Idol had the idol sex appeal like no other teenage dream, and successfully ruled the charts for over a decade.
In 1990, Idol was involved in a serious motorbike accident that slowed down the shock rocker, and nearly cost him a leg. He was also hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while riding home from the studio in Hollywood one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg. Idol would go on to speak about this accident and credit it for completely changing his life.
Having spent years partying and crediting much time to white weddings, Idol didn’t want to waste anymore time.
Due to the circumstance of the accident, Billy would have to pass on a movie role tailor made for the Prince of Peroxide.
Film director James Cameron had chosen Idol to play the T-1000 character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and had drawn storyboards to resemble him. Unable to perform major stunts, Idol was replaced by Robert Patrick.
And did you know?
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)“, written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, had originally written it with Billy Idol in mind, but the singer turned it down, leaving the song to Simple Minds, who made it a hit in 1985! The Breakfast Club would have been a very different film if the rebel-hearted singer had left his hand print on the flick.
Influencing youth to revolt to this day, bleaching one’s head peroxide blonde wouldn’t have the same impact if it weren’t for the one and only Billy Idol. And if you browse LOOKBOOK, or any other street style source, you will be finding kids rocking the edge just like Billy.
Wiktor Hansson as Billy Idol for Tush Magazine
Count on finding this rocker’s look mimiced in fashion magazines and on the backs of the style obsessed youth. Billy Idol is what every man fantasizes of being; a sexual being unrestricted by the bounds of society, a creature of vanity, insanity, and completely possessed by the spirit of rock n’ roll. He shows that it’s good to stand out from the crowd, and to be extraordinary.
With a touch of James Dean’s rebel ways, the natural class of Errol Flynn, and a wildly adventurous spirit, Billy keeps himself current to this very day, performing and touring the world over. We love this star decked head to toe with crucifixes and chains, or wearing nothing at all. One thing is for certain, he’ll always be our Teen Idol!
Who are the dapper gents in top hats and scandalous bathing shorts?
None other than some of the original members of The Brighton Swimming Club. This photo was taken circa 1863 by photographer Benjamin Botham.
Seems like the boys of Brighton have been stirring up a lot of conversation on the net, which seems quite remarkable for a one hundred and forty nine year old memory!
It’s remarkable that photographs like this have survived, helping keep the past alive, and showing all of us here in the {PRESENT} the weird and wonderful moments of the past they don’t teach you in history class.
The Brighton Swim Club was established on May 4th, 1860, following a meeting of swimming enthusiasts at The Jolly Fisherman in Brighton’s Market Street. The members, all serious for the sport, were completely revolutionary to the strict mandates of Victorian dress codes often ditching their scanty shorts to swim the seas nude.
As noted in our story on Men’s Vintage Swimwear Styles, swimsuits were made of heavy cottons or wools and covered most of the body, making it highly uncomfortable and straining.
Due to public outrage over the sight of the naked male swimmers, authorities in Brighton would introduce regulations that insisted that men who wanted to swim on the main beach between the hours of 8 AM and 9PM, would have to wear a bathing costume to “preserve public decency”.
That’s where the calecons, a French creation, came into play allowing for the coverage authorities desired, and the lack of coverage desired by the club members. They were truly rebels of the waters, treading the fine lines of societal morality and the function they knew they (and WE) needed!
The Brighton Swimming Club is still alive and well today! The Swimming Club has gone through great efforts to keep their history in tact so all can see. Floating Memories is an archive dedicated to preserving and curating their collected history, and features a remarkable database of vintage clothing and lifestyle. Their Vimeo channel yields some true wonders!
If you enjoy the beach (I know you do), and vintage styles (I know you do too) be sure to check this out!
Thanks to Callum James for bringing this remarkable tradition to our attention. His blog Front Free Endpaper features many cool vintage treasures to adore. Also David Simkin, whose Sussex Photo History blog featured a brilliant page on The Brighton Swimming Club, including a detailed breakdown of that fantastic picture of the gentleman wearing top hats that’s been buzzing around the place!
Once again, history prevails and shows it’s not going away anytime soon. So have fun! Do what you want!
Hope you’re all having a great summer!
Sincerely,
{theEye}
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